Another way to look at himValduggery!
by Madlenkazz
Summary: This is my first fan-fiction. It's going to be a Valduggery, just so you know. This is my first, so any feedback you have would be appreciated! Love ya'll skulduggery fans!
1. Chapter 1: The belle of the ball

Valkyrie twirled a tendril of dark hair around her finger and chewed on her lower lip. She looked down at herself and scowled. The dress was far too revealing. Strapless, black and it barely skimmed her knees. Her hair was down and Tanith had insisted on heels.

She was sitting on her bed in what was now her house now that Gordon was dead. The Sanctuary had an annual ball and Valkyrie was now old enough that it would have been odd if she hadn't been in attendance. Skullduggery was to pick her up sometime in the next five minutes and Valkyrie was already nervous. She flicked open her cell phone but found no new messages.

There were some perks to being eighteen, one of them being that she got to live in a gorgeous house with her roommate and best friend; Tanith.

As Valkyrie smiled at her good fortune, the sound of the bell ringing echoed through the large house. She felt her stomach jump as she hopped up off the bed and charged down the stairs. She wrenched open the door with a wide grin on her face.

"Hey," She said.

Skulduggery was dressed in a deep grey three-piece suit and his hat and sunglasses.

He pushed himself off the wall he'd been leaning on. "You look fetching, Valkyrie."

"I know, right? You don't look to shabby yourself."

"Shabby?" His voice dripped with false disappointment. "I am the epitome of elegance, my dear girl."

"Oh, C'mon."

Valkyrie pulled off her heels so she could walk across the gravel driveway and pressed her feet into the cold pebbles. She slid into the passenger side and Skulduggery shut the door behind her, folding his tall frame into the driver's side. He tilted his head towards her.

"You really do look quite nice."

Valkyrie blushed and pushed her shoes back on, grateful that she had something to do with her hands.

"That's sweet of you."

"No, really," He continued, ignoring the fact that Valkyrie was turning redder by the second. "You've grown so very much. I met you when you were twelve, you remember that, right?"

"Of course I _remember_."

"I had to ask, not every one has as stellar a memory as I do."

"You are _so_ full of it." Valkyrie sighed.

He would've grinned had he had lips. "It's part of my charm, don't you think?" The were rolling up to a large, abandoned warehouse. Valkyrie could see strings of lights inside the large glass windows along with a valet standing outside a large metal door. Instead of pulling up to the valet, Skulduggery parked behind the building; Valkyrie knew he didn't trust strangers with his car so this didn't surprise her.

He turned off the engine and turned to her. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." She closed the door and smoothed her hair out. They walked across the car park. The sanctuary had gone all out; along with a few valet running around with various cars there were two cleavers manning the guest list.

"Skulduggery Pleasant? Detective Extraordinaire?"

The cleaver ticked something on the clipboard he was holding.

Valkyrie felt nervous, as she always did around Cleavers. They were too machine-like, to inhuman.

Skulduggery noticed her discomfort and spoke up. "As well as Valkyrie Cain. The sidekick."

Valkyrie elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ow," He murmured under his breath. The cleaver ticked something off again and opened the door for them.

It was beautiful. The warm glow of candlelight flickered off a million people's faces and made everything sparkle. When Valkyrie looked up she saw that someone had strung Christmas lights lengthways across the warehouse's rafters, causing the space to twinkle. When Valkyrie entered beside Skulduggery she felt as if everyone was watching her. She distracted herself by trying to search for familiar faces. Over in the distance she could see China looking as beautiful as ever, holding off hoards of men. She saw China's brother, Mr. Bliss, surveying the room with his arms crossed. There! Tanith and Ghastly were standing near the bar laughing. Skulduggery saw them too, and they made their way over to the bar.

"You made it! And you wore the dress!" Tanith rushed forward and hugged Valkyrie, squealing a little. Ghastly smiled warmly. "It's good to see you both. You look as pretty as ever, Valkyrie."

"Skulduggery, you wear suits far too often," Tanith grinned. "It's hard to tell that you're all dressed up."

"Nonsense."

Tanith rolled her perfectly lined eyes and ran a hand through her tousled hair. She looked like a rock star in the violet cocktail dress. She waved the bartender over and ordered them all champagne. Valkyrie squirmed a little. It wasn't the first time she'd had a drink but the alcohol always seemed to affect her differently. She sipped the bubbly liquid hesitantly but was glad that it wasn't terribly strong.

Tanith waggled her eyebrows. "So, Valkyrie. I'll bet you've got a hot date."

"Would I be here with Skulduggery if I did?"

Skulduggery scowled. "I resent that."

"Oh, you know what I mean."

"I'm quite certain I don't."

Valkyrie smiled, knowing that it was all right now. "How 'bout you?"

Tanith grinned. "Ghastly took pity on me and invited me along."

"I did nothing of the sort," Ghastly said. "It's an honor to be the date of such a…"

"Violent girl?" Finished Valkyrie, laughing.

"Charming young lady." He said instead.

A Sinatra tune came on and Tanith wiggled a little. "C'mon Ghastly. I want to dance before these shoes start to hurt."

They danced off, laughing, leaving Skulduggery and Valkyrie to stand awkwardly.

"Would you like to dance?" Skulduggery asked after a moment's pause.

"Sure. I have to warn you though, I'm hideously bad."

Skulduggery chuckled. "I doubt it."

Valkyrie finished off the last of her champagne. "You'll see."

Skulduggery set his hat on a barstool and led her out onto the dance floor, resting a hand on her hip. She slid her hand into his gloved grip and set her other on his shoulder. Skulduggery proved to be a quite good dancer, twirling Valkyrie and dipping her low enough to make her heart speed up. In fact, she'd been having such good fun that she hadn't noticed who was nearing until Skulduggery tightened his grip on her waist and pulled her in close to his side. Valkyrie found herself surprised that he was warm, even though he didn't have any blood. She looked up and saw Fletcher staring down at her with a sneer on his face.

"Dating a skeleton now, are we? That the best you could do?"

She could feel Skulduggery's temper being pushed. "Get lost, Fletcher."

He shrugged. "Makes sense. I was pretty out of your league. And for the record, I was about to dump you anyways."

"You started crying, Fletcher."

Fletcher made a move to step closer and Valkyrie heard Skulduggery snarl, "If you come an inch nearer I'll break your jaw."

This stopped him short. "You just wait. I can do _so_ much better than you. You're not even that pretty."

He turned, and then he was falling. Valkyrie could tell that someone had shoved him down using the air around him, and she had a guess as to who it was. Skulduggery grabbed the boy by the collar, acting like he was helping him up. "If you speak that way to her again, you'll be pretty bloody sorry."

He shoved Fletcher forward. He scrambled off through the crowd and as soon as he'd disappeared Valkyrie pressed her face into the detective's shirt to hide the tears in her eyes.

"Thank you, Skulduggery."

Skulduggery hesitated for a second before he stroked her hair lightly. "Of course. You can't let people talk that way to you."

She threw her arms around him, ignoring the curious looks this warranted. "How stupid was I to go out with him?"

He tipped her head back so she'd look at him. "Not stupid, Val. Mistaken. And we all make mistakes."

"You never seem to make those sorts of mistakes."

He laughed dryly. "You think too highly of me." Then he stopped joking. "Don't let him ruin the evening. Cheer up, now!" He squeezed her close and her smile started to return.

The party was a lot more fun then Valkyrie had been expecting. She danced with Ghastly and Skulduggery mostly but Mr. Bliss was kind enough to ask and even though she was still terrified he'd break her by accident, she went along with it.

By the time the party was beginning to dwindle she's had her fair share of champagne and was more than a little tipsy. Tanith was still dancing with some guy when Skulduggery told her we were leaving.

"See you when I get home, Val!" She giggled and flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder. Valkyrie kept on tripping and running into things so Skulduggery hauled her up, tossing her over his shoulder. It had begun to drizzle.

"I'm quite surprised you can carry me," Valkyrie slurred.

Skulduggery opened her door and lowered her into her seat. "You don't weigh much."

He snapped the seat belt across her and closed her door, walking around to his side.

"I feel a bit weird."

"Understandable. You're quite drunk, Love."

Skulduggery was speeding a good fifteen miles over the limit so he could get Val home before it really started to pour down.

Valkyrie tried to stumble out of the car, but she managed to twist her ankle in the process. Swearing, she pulled off the heels and limped towards the door.

"We can't have that," Grumbled Skulduggery as he scooped her up and dashed for the door, opening it. He shut it with his foot and managed to lock it one handed. He carried her to the living room and lay her down on a sofa. He crouched on the carpet next to her, watching her sleeping expression.

_She's quite pretty, you know_, a part of him thought. She'd grown up so much in the time he'd known her. When he'd first met her a curtain of dark hair framed an angular face with equally dark eyes. She'd been adorable and smart. Now she was beautiful and witty. Even though she was passed out with smudged mascara and a damp dress, she was still beautiful. Skulduggery saw goose bumps on her arms and so he went to the linen cupboard and pulled a thick quilt, draping over a sleeping Valkyrie. He brushed the hair out of her face, and she stirred, her eyes fluttering open.

"Skulduggery…"

"Yes?"

She smiled and fell back into the soft sofa.

_You've spent a lot of time with her. It's normal for you to think she's beautiful_, he tried to assure himself.

_Besides,_ he thought, _She's so alive. She's so lively and strong and I'm a…skeleton. She couldn't be with me either way._

Skulduggery sighed and took off his coat and walked into the kitchen, starting the coffee so it would be ready for her when she was ready.

He looked over to Valkyrie and saw her brow furrowed and a frown on her face.

"I'm here, Val!" He called out, just incase she was waking up already. As he watched, her features smoothed out.

_At least she'll always have me._ He squeezed her hand and settled into the edge of the sofa, ready for a long night.


	2. Chapter 2: Valkyrie's underwear

Valkyrie felt as if someone was hitting her with a very heavy brick every few seconds. The light filtering through her eyelids seemed to burn. She groaned and rolled over into the sofa. Sleep wouldn't return and her forehead was really itching. With a sigh she dragged her eyes open.

"Good morning, Love! Coffee?" Skulduggery was, as always, cheerful. Valkyrie felt the overwhelming urge to hit him.

"Do you know what I really want to do right now?"

Tell me how wonderful you think I am for carrying you home?"

"Well that, yeah. But I also want to hit you."

"Fantastic! Coffee?"

Skulduggery passed her the steaming mug and Valkyrie gulped down the liquid despite burning her tongue severely. She sat up and stretched, yawning.

"Val?" Skulduggery had his head tilted towards the ceiling.

"Yeah?"

"Your dress."

Valkyrie's eyes flicked to her chest and she realized the problem with horror. The dress had ridden _very_ low during the night and her hot pink strapless bra was visible in its entirety.

"_Damn_." Valkyrie's cheeked turned scarlet as she yanked the black fabric over the swell of her chest.

Skulduggery returned his gaze to a less forced position. "Seemed cruel not to tell you."

"I'm glad you did," she said, trying to forget the incident. She could feel the grungy buildup of product in her hair and the sticky residue of lipgloss on her lips. She could also feel the spike of a heel digging into her leg.

"I need a shower. See you in a few." Valkyrie pulled her shoes off and trudged up the winding staircase. She was about to knock on Tanith's door but she saw a note attached that read:

Val-

I'm getting a new tunic fitted at Ghastly's. I'm thinking purple. Anyways, hope you're not too hung-over, you were pretty wasted last night. I think Skulduggery carried you out. Movie and ice cream this evening?

Later,

Tanith

Valkyrie grinned at her friend's note. She yanked open her own door and peeled off the dress, shivering.

_Damn it, I forgot a bloody towel._ Valkyrie had two options. She could put the dirty, damp dress back on and go get a tower, or she could make a run for it. She looked down at her bra and panties. _I'm not actually naked,_ She conceded. _I'm a rather quick runner too_, and so she sprinted to the end of the corridor and threw open the door, and grabbed a towel, sliding back down the narrow hallway. She nearly at her door when she heard Skulduggery's voice call out, "What the hell is going on?"

Valkyrie stopped dead in her tracks. "What is with you and me in my underwear? Do you lurk about, waiting for this to happen? Why are you even up here?"

She was past being embarrassed. She was wearing hot pink underwear in front of a skeleton. Attempting to cover herself up would only have further diminished her dignity.

"No I do not 'lurk'. I came up here to see Echo-Gordon about a case. Then I see some girl charging down the corridor in her…knickers, and I haven't the slightest clue why."

She waved the towel around in the air. "I'm sorry, I usually don't shower fully clothed."

"You shower in your underwear?"

Valkyrie sighed. "You can be quite annoying." She opened her door and slid inside, locking it behind her.

Skulduggery leant against the wall and let out a breath, even though he didn't _need_ to breathe.

When had Valkyrie gotten those curves?

When had she started wearing pink?

That girl was seriously hot. Skulduggery replayed the long legs leading a slim torso and perfectly proportionate chest down the corridor. The expression on that beautiful face.

He had a bit of a crush. He had a bit of a crush on a girl who trusted him. It would be a betrayal of that girl's trust if she continued to think his feeling towards her were platonic if he was thinking entirely inappropriate things all the while. He looked at the study door and decided that maybe it wasn't the best idea to visit Echo-Gordon just then.

Valkyrie stood in the shower, laughing hysterically. She had trouble believing she'd really done that. Skulduggery had seen her bright pink underwear. He probably thought she was a total lunatic. Maybe she _was_ a lunatic.

Hard to tell.

She squirted the shampoo directly onto her head and scrubbed away, blinking the foam out of her eyes. Things seemed a little different between her and Skulduggery. Less effortless. Part of her could just imagine how great it would be if she and Skulduggery had a thing. Would it matter that he was a skeleton? It didn't matter to her now.

_The best thing to do is to try and wait. See if your feelings change_, the sensible voice in her head said. The mischievous voice was saying another thing entirely. _He's already seen you nearly naked. He's seen you at your worst. You know he's witty and sweet, why not?_

The sensible voice would have nothing of it. _Because it's Skulduggery. And he's too sweet to hurt me, but I might not be too sweet to hurt him_.

Valkyrie rinsed the shampoo out of her hair and reminded herself that there weren't actually people living in her head, and if she felt there were, she had a very different dilemma on her hands. She switched the water off and wrapped the towel tightly around herself. She dried herself off and tied her dark hair up, off her back. She slid on a pair of jeans and a soft t-shirt. She checked herself in the mirror, something she rarely did. Valkyrie took the stairs two at a time after she heard the way her stomach rumbled.

She had to actually walk through the living room to get to the kitchen so she tiptoed.

"This may shock you, but my tip toeing, you don't _actually_ become invisible_._"

Valkyrie jumped a little. "No, really?"

He nodded. "It's true. See? You learn something new everyday."

Valkyrie pulled open the fridge and surveyed the contents with dismay.

"There's cereal in the cupboard about the sink."

"Right then." Valkyrie scooped out a handful and picked at the cornflakes in her hand.

"Sorry about the…incident."

He made the face she knew to be a smile. "Do you see me complaining?"

She blushed and punched him in the arm. "Perv."

"I'm not the one running around the house in…very little clothing."

"Drop it!"

He laughed and said, "You did. Your clothes, that is."

"I just might kill you yet."

"Ah, you're bright red! How precious." He was teasing her mercilessly, and she was indeed turning a vibrant shade of crimson.

"I _am_ precious." She paused to swallow the last of the cereal. "Do we have a case today?"

"There's one, but we need to do more research and China's library is closed today."

This surprised Valkyrie, she'd never heard of the library having been closed. "Why?"

"China's having the walls painted, carpets redone. Nothing terribly interesting."

"Hmm, is it the kind of research Gordon might have?"

The impeccably dressed skeleton shook his head. "I checked last night. He hasn't got anything good on it."

"What _is_ the case?"

Skulduggery peeled off his jacket, folding it neatly on the barstool at the counter.

"A few cleavers have gone missing at the sanctuary. They don't think it's anything big but they want us to check it out anyways."

"So what today?" Valkyrie smiled. "I'm not used to time off."

Skulduggery cocked his head to one side. "Not sure. I'm sure I'll come up with something."

"In the mean time?"

The skeleton shrugged. "Hang about? Don't know, really."

Valkyrie yawned. "'Kay then. I'll be up in Gordon's study."

Skulduggery nodded and flopped down onto the sofa, picking up a newspaper. Valkyrie watched him for a second before bounding up the stairs.

She had an idea, a slightly crazy idea. An idea that might not even be possible, but it was worth a shot. She slid her hand along the ancient bookcase, looking for the one to pull. The secret passage opened and Valkyrie stepped into her musty haven. Ever since Gordon had said it was all right for Skulduggery to see him, he'd had free reign of the house but he preferred to float around the secret room; he liked the comfort of a small space. When Valkyrie entered, Gordon was floating above the echo stone.

"Stephanie, my dear!" His smile was wide.

"Uncle Gordon, it's great to see you!" And it really was. She missed her uncle dearly. "Besides, I told you! My names' Valkyrie now."

"You'll always be my Stephanie."

Valkyrie crossed the room and fell into a squishy armchair. "I need to talk to you."

"I'm all ears," he paused, "Not literally. That would be quite disturbing."

She crossed her hands, uncrossed them and then folded her legs beneath her, fidgeting. "I was wondering about Skulduggery."

"There are lots of things to wonder about one as complex as Skulduggery, my dear. You'll have to be more specific."

Valkyrie took a deep breath. "Sometimes, Skulduggery talks about the days when he was human. I think-I think he misses being alive."

Gordon nodded slowly. "I'd be one to believe that. To be frank, I don't know much about the topic. I do have some rather good books on those sorts of things though." He gestured to a shelf near the entrance to the secret room. Valkyrie hadn't thought to close the door so she rushed to do so.

Gordon directed her towards which books to read and Valkyrie settled in.

The first book she read had a solution but it involved quite a lot of pain and some pretty serious fire so Valkyrie decided it wasn't the best choice. The second book had a perfectly nice agony-free option but it required a potion. Gordon informed her that the ingredients were incredibly rare and would take years to gather. The last book proved to have the answer. All that Skulduggery would have to do was to recite a chant. He'd need an object from his past, but anything would work. Now all that Valkyrie had to do was work up the courage to tell him.


	3. Chapter 3: Skulduggery, the man

Skulduggery stared at the newspaper in front of his without reading it. There was something going on, he could feel it. He leaned back into the sofa, rubbing his skull.

_Damn, I miss being human_. It seemed so very unfair; to be human in every way but for a layer of skin. And internal organs. And hair. The point was; he was sick of being a skeleton.

Valkyrie took a deep breath and tugged on the hem of her shirt. She descended the stairs slowly, trying to think of the right words to use. She reached the living room and could see the white of Skulduggery's skull over the back of the sofa. She tried to act natural, like she wasn't nervous. She sat down next to Skulduggery and chewed on her thumbnail.

"Skulduggery?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you…like being a skeleton?"

The question seemed to surprise him, and her turned his face to hers.

"What?"

"You know. If you could be human, would you?"

"Of course," The answer came instantaneously.

"Yeah?"

Skulduggery seemed to be thinking about something. "Why do you ask? You haven't wondered before."

She pulled her legs up under her and leaned forward. "What if there was a way for you to have your body back? The body you had when you were alive, I mean. Would that make you happy?"

"It doesn't matter what would make me happy, Val," he said gently. "It's not possible."

Valkyrie pulled the carefully folded piece of paper from her pocket. It was a page she'd torn from the book. "Don't be so sure."

Skulduggery lifted the paper from her fingers and unfolded it, his eyes scanning the page.

"Is this real?"

Valkyrie nodded. "From all that I can tell, yes."

He raised his face to hers. "And all I need is an object from when I was alive? That's it?"

"And you read the little chant aloud. Don't say it yet, wait until it's for real."

He seemed to hesitate. "I don't want to get my hopes up, Valkyrie."

Valkyrie reached out and squeezed his hand. "I don't want you to either. But I think this is real. If it's what you want, then why not try?"

He stared at her for a moment. Over the years, Valkyrie had acquired the ability to tell what he was looking at.

"Alright. I know what'll work, then. Do you want to…?"

Valkyrie smiled. "Whenever you're ready. _If_ you're ready. This is your decision."

"I want this. I want to be alive, now."

She gave his bony hand a final squeeze before dropping it.

"Then lets get this started."

Skulduggery put on his jacket and coat before leading Valkyrie to the Bentley out front. They'd be doing their little ceremony at his house. The sky was overcast and a deep grey, with a low fog sitting on the puddles of the ground. Skulduggery's house was, as always, very clean. A little unlived in, but very clean.

"It says it's supposed to be pretty dark," Valkyrie was going over the instructions to be sure they got it right.

"Found it!" Skulduggery called from the other room.

"Hmm?" She asked, looking up from the sheet of paper. "What did you pick to use?"

"My first proper hat." He held up the fedora proudly.  
"Really?"

He ran his gloved fingers over the edge of the hat. "Of course. I think it's quite symbolic."

Valkyrie didn't argue.

"I've got a guest room in the back of the house, doesn't get much light. We can black out the windows."

The room Skulduggery was talking about was indeed quite dark already. It just took a jacket draped over the window and a towel stuffed under the door to blacken the room. Valkyrie was shocked at how impromptu the whole thing was. Soon she and Skulduggery were sitting across from each other, each holding a fireball in their palms.

"So?" Skulduggery asked nervously.

Valkyrie crossed her legs, Indian style. "I guess you should hold the hat. I'll take care of lighting. Then you just…read it out."

Skulduggery let his flame die so Valkyrie let hers grow until it took two hands to contain it. The flame was sending ghoulish shadows across the room.

Skulduggery cleared his throat before he began reading the passage.

"_My bones are bare, my chest hollow but a soul still lives. Give light to these empty eyes; give feeling to this dead skin. Let blood flow from these injuries and let tears roll down cheeks from this sadness. Let lips smile and eyebrows raise. Let me live."_

As he finished the chant he began to glow, a light coming from within, a blinding light. Valkyrie squinted and had to close her eyes, standing. She shielded her eyes and saw a form within the spinning light. She ran to the window, ripping off the jacket letting the light flow in. When she turned, a man stood where a skeleton had.

The man in front of her was in his mid twenties with stubble on his sharp jaw and dark lashes shading his green eyes. Dark hair flopped over his high cheekbones and his form was thin and muscular.

"Valkyrie." The voice was the same, but it had a new depth.

Valkyrie felt tears rise in her eyes. "Skulduggery." She ran forward into his outstretched arms. "You're beautiful," She whispered into his shirt. He tipped her head back, smiling. "That's quite a compliment, coming from you." And with that, he pulled her against him and kissed her deeply. Valkyrie responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing herself as close to him as she could. She couldn't stop breathing in his scent, the smell that was making her delirious. She pulled away long enough to grin up at Skulduggery. Her lips felt swollen and delicious. Skulduggery bent down and kissed along her jaw, tracing her lips with his own. Valkyrie heard a sound like a small earthquake.

"Was that your_ stomach_?"

Skulduggery grinned. "I haven't eaten in a few centuries. Or slept. Being human is going to be fun."

Valkyrie twined her fingers through his. "C'mon. We're going back to my place for food."

Skulduggery raised an eyebrow. "That's rather forward of you."

"I'm a wonderful person, I'm simply looking out for a friend in need."

He pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it lightly. "I think we're a little past the friends stage, no?"

Valkyrie grinned. "You can spend the night there too, you don't have a bed here."

"I'm a gentleman, Valkyrie, I would never-"

"I have a spare room!"

"Well then," Skulduggery gave her a devastatingly handsome look. "I guess that's alright."

"What, you don't want to-?"

He was sliding into the driver's side now, turning the key in the ignition and clicking the belt across himself. "Of course I _want_ to. But you might not."

"Of course I want to. You're really hot."

He grinned at her again, flashing straight, white teeth. "You're pretty hot yourself. I meant to tell you, I quite liked your underwear." He smirked a little as Valkyrie punched him in the arm.

As Skulduggery drove, Valkyrie found herself staring. She'd liked Skulduggery before she'd seen the real him. But the physical attraction needed a little shove.

Apparently, Skulduggery Pleasant, the man, was a pretty good shove.

"So that's what you looked like when you were young?"

Skulduggery's eyes flicked to the rear view mirror and then back again. "Yeah, yeah it is. Wow, I forgot how good-looking I am."

"Don't get cocky. It's not becoming."

He chuckled softly. "It's funny. I was worried I wouldn't have my own face back since that wasn't my real skull."

"But that's your real face?"

Skulduggery nodded, smiling.

"What's the first thing you're going to do, now that you're human?"

He looked at her slyly. "No laughing, right?"

"As long as it isn't funny."

He smiled. "I really want a shower. I haven't had one in a few centuries."

"Seriously? That's your big exciting experience?"

He took his eyes off the road long enough to brush his fingers over Valkyrie's cheek, causing her to blush. "Val, I don't want to make a big deal out of this. I'm the same person."

"I know that. But still. Do you want to do something?"

"Valkyrie, look at me." Valkyrie turned her eyes to his face, still amazed at how gorgeous he was. "I want to take a shower, have a snack and spend some time with you. I'll have enough to deal with when Tanith and Ghastly see me again."

"Whoa, that's true. I'd forgotten about that."

"Yeah. So I don't really want to make any more of a fuss than I can help."

Valkyrie nodded, they were already pulling up to the house. Skulduggery still moved gracefully, like he weighed nothing, even though he did, now. She was surprised that his clothes still fit him; they'd always been loose though. He unlocked the door with the key Valkyrie had given him years ago, and was jogging up the stairs before she had a chance to say a word. Valkyrie made her way into the kitchen and dug through the refrigerator, trying to find some good food for Skulduggery to eat. She decided on bacon and eggs even though it was nearly 1:00 already. While she cracked and whipped and scrambled her mind went over what she'd done.

_I kissed Skulduggery_, She thought in amazement. She didn't regret it and intended to continue doing so forever. _Actually, he kissed you_. She grinned. All the better. She heard the water switch off and she could feel that the day was sure to be at least one thing; interesting.


	4. Chapter 4: Tanny's reaction

He'd forgotten how great water felt. When it touched bone, it seemed tinny and annoying. When it touched _skin_, however, it felt warm and refreshing and it cleared Skulduggery's mind. He wrapped the towel around his waist and shook out his hair.

_Oh, how I missed you, hair_. It was something people took for granted. He wiped the fog off the mirror and grinned at the reflection, reveling in the sheer happiness. He hadn't been able to show that he was smiling for so long. He raised an eyebrow. He frowned. He stuck his tongue out.

_This is going to be fun_.

Valkyrie tossed the eggs onto a chipped plate and burnt herself on the bacon. She wasn't exactly a domestic goddess but she was better than Tanith, at least. She walked the plate over to the little breakfast table they used for casual meals. She ran to get a fork and glass of water a second before Skulduggery walked in, smiling warmly at Valkyrie. She felt her heart melt a little. He seemed to glow.

"Hey," She said, hoping she didn't sound as awe struck as she felt. He pulled her into a tight embrace. "Hey, gorgeous."

She grinned. "I like you this way."  
"What way?"

"All happy and sweet."

"You bring it out in me, Love."

She laughed. "Now you're just kissing up. Sit, eat."

He pulled out the chair and sat down. Valkyrie sat down across from him and rested her head on her hands, watching him shovel food into his mouth.

Skulduggery groaned.

"That bad, eh?"

He shook his head. "Just the opposite. I've missed food, Val."

Valkyrie laughed. "Tomorrow we'll get you out for some proper food. I figured you'd rather have a half decent breakfast than a rubbish lunch."

"Why, of course."

"I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not."

"_Me_? Sarcastic? Perish the thought!" He bit off the last of the bacon and swallowed the rest of the eggs, chugging down some water. Valkyrie looked at the oven clock, he'd eaten the whole plate in less than five minutes.

"You're seriously hungry," Valkyrie observed.

Skulduggery looked straight at her with one eyebrow raised. "I am that." He didn't seem to be talking about food.

She felt her cheeks flushing. He _never_ had this effect on her before the last few days. What had changed?  
"What would you like? I should warn you, I'm out of eggs."

"I'm good now. I just needed a snack."

I studied his new face. "What's it feel like? I mean, that was really quick. No big thing, and now, poof! You've got skin.

He shrugged, smiling. "I'm happy. I feel like me again."

"You didn't feel like yourself while you were a skeleton?"

"Val, if you didn't look like you, how would you feel?"

"I-I don't know. I don't think I get it, really."

"If you were an eighteen year old girl in an old woman's body. How would that make you feel?"

"Frustrated. Impatient. Uncomfortable. Confused."

He nodded. "So I'm just grateful to be back. It was quite easy though."

Valkyrie picked up the empty plate and dropped it into the soapy dishwater. She was washing her hands when she felt strong arms wrap around her waist, rocking her back and forth.

"Hey, my hands are all wet!"

Skulduggery leant down and kissed her neck. Valkyrie's eyes fluttered.

"Just let me get a towel, 'Kay?"

"Fine," He grumbled. "Once you're dry I'm not letting you go again."

She hurriedly wiped her hands off on a towel, and slid back into his arms. "Mmm. I hope you're telling the truth. If you let go I'll shoot you with your own gun."

"Uh-huh," He was skeptical. "I'd pin you down in a second."

Valkyrie slid her hand along his flat stomach. "You wouldn't happen to be ticklish? You don't need a gun for that."

"Valkyrie, I'm warning you-" Valkyrie scrunched up her fingers on his skin and she felt him squirm.

"Oh, I went there," She laughed.

"You think you can tickle, do you?"

He lifted her into the air enough that her legs dangled and he spun her into the living room before dropping her onto the sofa. "You forgot, I had a daughter. I'm the freaking _king_ of tickling."

Valkyrie was slightly afraid now. She'd _never_ admit it, but she was a total toddler at heart. Tickling would kill her.

"_You wouldn't dare_." She said in her deadliest voice.

He grinned and with that he attacked her stomach.

"Ah-no! No! Stop it-Ha, no!" She was giggling and screaming, kicking her legs wildly. He tugged up the edge of her shirt and proceeded to tickle her so severely that she was holding onto him to breathe. At last he relented and let Valkyrie catch her breath.

"I'm. Going. To. Kill. You." Valkyrie said, gasping and grinning.

He was still straddling her so he leant down and kissed her hard.

"Oh, you know you love me."

She shrugged, not able to truthfully deny the fact. He grinned and pressed himself against her, moving his mouth with hers. She'd never gotten that far with a guy and she was glad it was Skulduggery. Skulduggery, who could never hurt her, who cared about her. She felt dizzy and happy and confused in a really nice way. Skulduggery wasn't wearing his shirt anymore and Valkyrie's was on its way off. Skulduggery kissed her neck and her collarbone, working his way back up to her jaw and then her mouth. She twined her tongue around his, pulling his back into her mouth. He nibbled lightly on her bottom lip. Valkyrie tugged at the hem of her now slightly sweaty shirt. Skulduggery smiled against her mouth and peeled it off of her.

"Mmm. That's better," Valkyrie murmured. She loved the warmth of Skulduggery's body against hers contrasting with the cool breeze blowing across her sides. He slid his hands up her back, winding through her hair, stroking the nape of her neck lightly with his thumb. Valkyrie had the feeling that he was being careful with her; she'd seen him in fights and she didn't think being this gentle when it came to physical stuff was his nature. She didn't want careful. She ran her hands down his bare back and then up his stomach. She raked her fingernails across his broad shoulders before pulling his weight down onto hers. He broke the kiss long enough to shoot her a questioning look.

"Don't hold back."  
He smiled, kissing her cheek. "You know me too well, Love."

And he didn't hold back. His kisses deepened and Valkyrie felt a surge of new confidence in his actions. His grip on her waist was tighter and she could feel his body actually heat up. His hair was still damp from his shower and she reveled in the feel of it against her fingers. Valkyrie was in a dream. A wonderful dream where it was all right to be half-naked with your mentor. Where it was all right to experiment and enjoy yourself because you knew you couldn't do anything wrong with him. They were both startled when they heard a key rattling in the locked door. Skulduggery untangled himself from Valkyrie and buttoned up his shirt in seconds. Valkyrie couldn't find her shirt.

_Damn! _She needed her shirt.

"Here!" Skulduggery tossed her his suit jacket. It wasn't perfect but he was a lot bigger than her so it covered what needed covering.

They both stood, wildly adjusting their clothes and flattening their hair. Valkyrie pulled the jacket tight around herself and stood stick straight next to Skulduggery who gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Tanith was shoving her keys back into her handbag as she walked in, calling out Valkyrie's name.

"I'm-I'm here, Tanith."

Tanith looked up and a blur of emotions passed over her face.

"That's-Val, that's-"

"Skulduggery, I know."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "I-I don't understand."

Skulduggery stepped forward and Tanith backed up. "What's going on? Where's your shirt? Where's the real Skulduggery?"

"It's me, Tanny."

Her eyes widened. Valkyrie knew that was a very old nickname Skulduggery had for her.

"No-you're a-a-"

"I'm real." He touched her shoulder and she stared at the hand like it was an alien sitting on her shoulder instead.

"I-I need to sit down." She dumped her bag on the ground and fell into an armchair.

"Honey, it's alright," Valkyrie said comfortingly. "Everything's ok. Skulduggery _is_ back." She squeezed his hand. "The real Skulduggery."

She raised her eyes to the scene in front of her. Sometimes her beauty amazed Valkyrie. She didn't have that perfect elegance like China, but with the big blue eyes and soft features she was the epitome of innocence, until she kicked some serious ass.

"You're not wearing a shirt, Val." Then anger flashed in her eyes and she turned her gaze to Skulduggery. "If you hurt her, I'll-"

"He'd never hurt me, Tanith."

She shook her head. "But you don't have a shirt on. That's his jacket."

Valkyrie nodded encouragingly, staring at her, waiting for her to get it.

"So if he didn't hurt you then…" Understanding covered her features and then a smile lit them up.

"Oh, finally!" She ran towards the two and enveloped them in a bone shattering hug.

"I'm so happy for you!" Her voice was muffled between their shoulders. "You two are so freaking perfect for each other!"

Valkyrie and Skulduggery pried Tanith off of them.

He smiled. "Good to know we have your blessing, then."

She still had a stupid grin on her face and Valkyrie was happy to see it there.

"Just wait 'til Ghastly finds out. He'll have a heart attack!"

"The good sort of heart attack?" Valkyrie asked hesitantly.

"Yeah! But Kenspeckle will slap you silly, Skulduggery!"

"Nonsense. He doesn't like violence."

Tanith smirked. "I think he'll disregard that rule for Val. She's like a daughter to him."

Valkyrie shook her head, smiling. "Nah, he just wants me happy and safe." She grinned up at Skulduggery, who threw and arm around her. "Which I am. Very."

Tanith hopped up and down, clapping her hands. "We need to celebrate-"

"No more champagne!" Valkyrie practically yelled. Tanith opened her mouth to respond when Valkyrie heard the house phone ringing. She jogged to get it.

"Hello?"

"Steph! It's your adoring parents!" Her father's voice was as happy as always and she could hear some of her mother's music playing in the background.

"Hey, Dad. Is Mum there?"

"Hello, Darling!" Valkyrie heard her mother call.

Her dad chuckled. "We're just calling to check in. How'd your day go?"

Valkyrie looked at the grinning Tanith and new Skulduggery.

"Really good, actually."

She could hear a pause on the other end. When she was sixteen she'd told them a little about the world _she_ lived in. They believed her but…they wanted to keep Valkyrie and Stephanie as two separate people.

"Yeah?" He sounded a little hesitant.

"You remember Skulduggery?"

"Um-hmm."

She had to swallow back a giggle. "Well he wasn't feeling quite like himself. But he's better."

"That why you didn't call for a week?"

Valkyrie felt a pang of guilt and her father must've noticed.

"I'm sorry, Steph. We're still trying to wrap our heads around it."

There was an uncomfortable lull in the conversation. "So, how's Mum? How are you?"

He seemed eager to move on. "Your mother is-You want to talk to Steph? 'Kay. Stephanie, I'm putting her on now!"

Valkyrie laughed as she heard the phone being pulled away from her father.  
"Steph!"

"Hey, again, Mum."

She heard a hand go over the receiver and a muffled, "I'm stepping out, dear! It's a bit stuffy in here." Then a door slamming and a sigh.  
"Stephanie. You _have_ to come by tomorrow. I'm going to go batty if I don't have some human contact."

"You have dad!"

"That's just the problem!" She wailed. "You're coming over for tea tomorrow. Bring whoever you'd like."

"Mum, I-"

"Love you too, dear!" She yelled before clicking off.

Valkyrie set the phone back into the cradle and plastered on her very best smile, turning around.

"Guess what, guys? We're visiting my parents!" Valkyrie smiled and nodded in a way that was meant to look reassuring before sprinting up the stairs with two of her best friends running after her, probably to try and kill her.


End file.
